Emerald Hills

 

Located 33 miles south of San Francisco and 29 miles north of San Jose in an unincorporated portion of San Mateo County in the western foothills above Redwood City, Emerald Hills was originally developed as a resort community for wealthy San Franciscans. Today the hillside community has about 1,400 homes on its 1.2 square miles, with most of the original summer homes and cabins having been replaced with grander homes on large lots designed to blend into the natural surroundings, and with many featuring stunning views of the San Francisco Bay. Emerald Hills is a walker’s and hiker’s dream, with low traffic, curving roads, an abundance of trails, and views at practically every turn. There are two lakes, Upper and Lower Emerald Lake, the Emerald Hills Golf Course, and Edgewood Park at the top of Emerald Hills near Highway 280 with its 467 acres of grasslands and wooded foothills featuring miles of trail for hikers, joggers and equestrians. Due to its proximity to Highway 280, Emerald Hills has become a sought after residential refuge for those working in San Francisco or Silicon Valley. According to Yuji Naka, former head of the Sonic Team that developed the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, Emerald Hills is the namesake for the Emerald Hill zone in the first level of Residents of Emerald Hills are zoned to primary schools in the Redwood City School District and secondary schools in the Sequoia Union High School District.